Three-story Stone Pagoda in Chang-ri, Yeoju

This pagoda originally stood at an old temple site within an orchard in the Chang-ri area, and was moved to its present site in 1958. It has the common form of a three-story body set on a two-tier platform (gidan), but with a distinctive character. On each of the four sides of the lower platform are carved two niches (ansang), their recessed outlines rising like flower shapes, which clearly reveals the carving technique of the period. The topmost stone finishing the platform is bordered with a carving of lotus petals turned downward, an unusual feature. The pagoda body was assembled using a distinctive method: only the first-story body stone is made of a single block, while from the roof stone upward each roof stone and the body stone of the story above are carved from a single piece, so that it looks as if three hat-shaped stones have been stacked on top of one another. The underside of each roof stone has three tiers of eaves-supports, the eaves are very thick, and the upward curve at the corners is faint. Because the stone used for each part is thick, the pagoda appears tall overall, and the niches on the lower platform and the three-tiered eaves-supports clearly show features typical of the Goryeo period. The carving technique is somewhat crude, and simplified features can be seen here and there, such as making the body stone and roof stone of each story from a single block, suggesting that the pagoda was built sometime after the mid-Goryeo period.

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Where it is

Region

Yeoju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Treasure · 보물